One Piece: Starting in God Valley as a Slave

Tiger was very pleased with Jinbe's progress, but now was not the time for idle chat.

Jinbe was still standing there, waiting for Tiger's praise, but Tiger turned around and addressed the Right Minister.

"Right Minister, this is Admiral Carl, you are so rude!"

"What?!"

The Right Minister was shocked, and he looked at Carl in disbelief.

Carl merely smiled and said, "I've said before, I'm just a traveler now. No need to be nervous."

The Right Minister swallowed hard, thinking to himself: Even though he said so, the title of Admiral of the Navy is not something to ignore.

If it is true, as Tiger said, that the unusually young man before him is actually the legendary Navy Admiral, then, as mere Right Minister, he is indeed unqualified to receive him.

Realizing this, he quickly stepped aside, and with a bow of deep respect, he invited,

"Your Excellency the Admiral, if you don't mind, may I lead you to Ryugu Palace?"

At that moment, the Right Minister, who was highly respected on Fishman Island, was full of awe and humility.

Most of the residents here had never left Fishman Island and didn't grasp the full weight of the term "Admiral of the Navy." But seeing the Right Minister act so humbly, they understood that this figure was someone of immense power.

Looking at the Right Minister, Carl thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well. I'd like to visit the famous Ryugu Palace. Lead the way."

After receiving Carl's agreement, the Right Minister breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ordered the soldiers to form two lines, surrounding Carl as they walked.

Seeing this, the crowd dispersed, watching Carl and his entourage head toward Ryugu Palace.

On the way, Jinbe quietly moved up behind Tiger and whispered,

"Tiger, is he really an Admiral? How did you meet him?"

Tiger glared at Jinbei and said, "If you have something to say, speak up! If he's not an Admiral, who is? And if not for him, you may never see me again in the future!"

Jinbe shrank back and fell silent, but Carl noticed and laughed inwardly.

He hadn't expected Jinbe to be so naïve in his youth. Compared to his future steady self, he seemed like a different person.

Jinbe was also eyeing Carl curiously. He couldn't fathom how such a "fragile" body could hold such devastating power.

At eighteen, Jinbe was roughly the same age as Carl. Naturally, this sparked a competitive spirit in him. Lacking knowledge of the rank of Admiral, he couldn't suppress his curiosity to witness Carl's strength firsthand. But for now, he decided to suppress the impulse.

Soon, they arrived at the royal residence of Fishman Island, Ryugu Palace.

To ordinary people, Ryugu Palace was magnificent, yet compared to the Figarland family estate, it paled somewhat.

Inside the hall, Neptune was deep in discussion with the Left Minister, but he paused upon noticing Carl's group.

When Neptune spotted Carl, a look of shock spread across his face.

As a king of a World Government member nation, Neptune was well-informed on Navy leaders. In his intel, Carl was ranked just behind Navy Marshal Kong, a figure of great importance. Only recently, Carl had been at the center of a world-shaking event.

Recognizing Carl, Neptune blurted out, "Black Dragon Admiral?!"

Neptune's words confirmed Carl's identity.

The Right Minister, a seahorse merman, bowed even lower.

A young mermaid in elegant attire swam out from a side hall, hearing Neptune's voice.

"Neptune, what's happened?" she asked.

"Queen Otohime!" exclaimed the Left Minister, while Neptune ignored her, leaving his throne and swimming swiftly to Carl, visibly tense.

Otohime's gaze shifted to Carl, and her expression soon matched Neptune's. Her worry for her husband was evident.

Not long ago, Carl had led the Navy in a fierce battle against Roger and Whitebeard. The previous year, Roger had visited Fishman Island, becoming Neptune's friend. Otohime had felt uneasy about this friendship, fearing it could jeopardize the Ryugu Kingdom's hard-earned membership in the World Government.

If their member state status was revoked, Fishman Island's people could become even more vulnerable to slave traders, and both fishmen and mermaids might face irreversible suffering.

The recent battle had convinced Neptune and Otohime that Carl's presence now was likely related to Neptune's association with Roger.

As for Carl coming alone, neither found it odd. Admirals' power is unfathomable to ordinary people, especially the strongest of the three Admirals, Black Dragon. Even Fishman Island's entire combat force likely stood no chance against him.

Carl hadn't anticipated the couple's concerns. His visit was merely for curiosity.

If there was a deeper reason, it was for the "Poseidon" Shirahoshi.

Though Shirahoshi was yet to be born, Carl intended to find a way to "reserve" her power for his Figarland family.

His eyes drifted to Otohime. Her lower body still bore a fish tail, a sign that she hadn't reached thirty yet. Meanwhile, Neptune looked older—at least forty.

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+115 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg